Gravel washing and screening apparatus.



R. W. DULL.

GRAVEL WASHING AND scmazwms APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.23, I915.

Patented Aug. 27, 1918.

mmemo a m W 60. W

RAYMOND W. DUL'L,

OF' LA GRANGE,

ILLINOIS.

GRAVEL WASHING AND SCREENING APPARATUS.

Application filed August 23, 1915.

1 b all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Rararono V. DULL, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of La Grange. Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improve ment in (travel \Vashing and Screening Apparatus, of which the following is a specilication.

My invention relates to gravel washing and screening apparatus of that particular kind in which the sand and gravel are subjected to successive washing and screening operations, by passing the materials from one screen to another, and by suitably injecting water in the screens and at other suitable places, whereby the gravel is not only washed clean and rendered free from sand and mud, but. is also graded or separated into different sizes.

Generally stated, the object of my invention is to provide a novel and improved and highly efiicient gravel washing and screening apparatus of the foregoing general character.

A special object is to provide an improved construction and arrangement whereby each screen has an individual scrubber in which the gravel is washed before passing into the screen, thereby insuring better results than heretofore, and making it possible to more thoroughly cleanse the gravel or separate it from the mud and sandbefore it escapes into the bins arranged to receive the different sizes of gravel from the different screens.

A further object is to provide means for checking the water which accumulates on the outside of the rotary screen, for thereby preventing the mud and water from dripping into the spout which receives the washed gravel from the end of the screen.

Another object is to provide a novel and simple and more satisfactory form of water pan or trough for handling the gravel and sand escaping through the perforations of the different screens, each pan being of sheet metal and provided with a spent for delivering the sand and gravel to the next screen, and these pans or spouts being more especially adapted for use in conjunction with screens which are tapered toward the lower end of the shaft upon which they are mounted for rotation.

It also an object to provide certain details and features of construction and combinations tending to increase the general efficiency and serviceability of a gravel Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented-A11 27, 1918.

Serial No. 46,866.

washing and screening apparatus of this particular character.

To the foregoing and other useful ends my lnvention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure l is a longitudinal section of a gravel washing and screening apparatus embodying the principles of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective of one of the water pans and spouts embodying the principles of my invention.

Fig. 3 shows a modification of the construction of the discharge end of the screen.

Fig. d is an enlarged cross section on line Pa in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view showing the manner in which the spout is secured to the water pan below the screen.

Fig. 6 is a cross section of one of the water pans.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross section of one of the rotary screens, showing the manner in which the supporting spiders are split to make them readily removable from the shaft, and showing the manner in which the screens are also split longitudinally into sections to make them readily removable from the arms of the spiders, and it"being understood that the scrubbers are split or di *ided in a similar manner, whereby the screens and spiders can be removed without removing theshaft from its bearings.

As thus illustrated, my invention comprises an inclined shaft A upon which are mounted the tapered screens B, C and D which taper toward the lower end of the shaft. These screens are supported by spiders b, c and (Z or other suitable means, the screen B having coarse openings and the screen C having somewhat finer openings, and the screen D having the finest openings; and with this arrangement the coarsest gravel will escape from the small endof the screen B, the next smaller size will escape from the lower end of the screen C, and the finest gravel will escape from the lower end of the screen D, while the sand and mud will pass through the openings of each screen and be finally discharged through the water pan E and its spout e, and from the latter into any suitable receptacle. Itis customary and very common, in apparatus of this kind, to provide water pipes or hose pipes or any other suitable means for introducing water into the lower or small ends tively on the larger or upper end of the screens 13, C and D, and arranged to rotate therewith. Each scrubber, it will be seen, consists of a short cylinder which operates like a tumble barrel, as it receives the gravel and water and sand and tumbles the same about until the materials overflow into the screen. For example, the scrubber F has its front wall provided with an inlet opening which is approximately the same in size as the larger or inlet end of the screen or a little smaller, and has its rear wall provided with an outlet opening in which is disposed and firmly secured the larger end of the screen. Thus the scrubber has a re tarding flange or shoulder I against which the gravel and sand and mud and water are allowed to accmnulate, and over the edge or rim of which these materials must overflow in order to enter the screen. Each scrubber is constructed in this manner, it will be seen, and hence the gravel and sand are subjected to a very thorough scrubbing action while passing from one screen to the other, and before entering the first screen. The water pans J and K arranged beneath the screens B and C, have spouts j and 7a, the spout j discharging into the scrubber G and the spout is discharging into the scrubber H, in a manner that will be readily understood. Gearing L is provided for rotat ing the upper end of the shaft upon which the screens are mounted. Bins l, 2 and 3 receive the discharged gravel from the lower or smaller ends of the three screens, and any suitable means can be employed for supplying the water which is injected into the smaller or lower ends of the screens or for supplying additional water to the pans. It will also be understood that the sand and gravel and mud, mixed with a supply of water, are delivered by the spout M to the scrubber of the first or upper screen.

Fig. 2 shows the special or improved construction of the water pans shown in Fig. 1. As thus illustrated, each water pan comprises a sheet metal body portion having a bottom wall l, sloping sides and side flanges 6 which are shaped to engage or come very close to the sides of the screens. The pan thus formed is provided with a lower end wall 7 which forms a dam for the sand and mud and water, and which wall is provided with an outlet spout 8, the top of which is wedge-shaped in cross section, as shown, thereby providing a ridge 9 which receives and separates the discharge from the end of the screen. The bottom of this spoilt may be formed by a non-integral continuation of the bottom wall a of the pan. A deflector or head 10 is provided at the end of the-spout, for deflecting the materials downward, and is formed with cheeks o sides 11 which embrace the end of the spent and are secured by rivets or other suitable means to the vertical sides of the spout. These pans are supported in any suitable or cesired manner below the screens, but are preferably mounted in such manner that they may be quickly and easily removed, as this is sometimes necessary. In other words, each water pan removable from the frame of the structure upon which the inclined shaft is mounted, and by constructing each screen in sections, both the pans and the screens are removable without disturbing any other elements. It will be readily understood that the screens can be made sectional in character by splitting them at one side, or at both sides, so that the sections are removable together or separately without removing the shaft from its bearings, and it will be understood that the longitudinal edges of these sections can be overlapped and be secured together by bolts or other suitable means. In each case, also, the sections of the screen are removably secured by bolts to the previously described spiders by which they are mounted on the shaft.

lhe angle of the shaft is such, it will be seen, that the lower side of each screen inclines slightly toward the lower end of the shaft, whereby the materials feed by gravity through the different screens, beingtumbled about by the rotation and gradually approaching the lower end of each screen that is to say, the gravel which is too coarse to pass through the perforations of the screen will gradually pass out of the lower end of the screen; but everything else will pass through the perforations of the screens and on to the water pans below.

lVith further respect to the construction of the water pan and spout therefor, the bottom 12 of the said spout can be formed from a separate piece of sheet metal and is troughshaped in form, the sides thereof being secured by rivets or bolts 13 to the sides of the top wall 1 iof the spout. In this way the said bottom can be readily removed when it becomes worn, and a new one can then be inserted. With this construction, the body of the pan can be made of heavier material than the spout, and the flanges 6 can have holes 15 through which bolts can be inserted to removably support the pan on a frame 17 of any suitable character below the screens. At the bottom of the pan, and just below the outlet in the dam 7, the bottom of the spout is secured in place by a strap 18 and rivets or bolts of any suitable character.

In order: to prevent the; water; from accumulating; on; the, screen: andi dripping downwardi with the; discharge of? gravel, a flat; ring-N can besseeured :to: the, loavenendi ofeach screenaby: hooleboltsmor byvOUhBIQ suitable means, the opening inqth-is ring ;be-.

ing smaller than the; discharge-1 end, of the screen. With this. construction,::-any water which accumulates on the outside; of; thescreen will flow downward until i it 1' encounters the ,ringN and will then drip; downward fromthis ringand into 11116;,Vatelipflllrlfl: stead of; being.-.discharged with: the: gravel from the end of the screen. Also, the inner portion of the ringN-serves tov restrict the discharge. opening ofithe screen and tohold the water and materials baclrto some extent, thus more effectually preventing the sand from discharging withthe gravel. In this connection, it will be seen that the dam 7 of the water pan'is located-under-the ring 0, and is provided with an angle iron-P which not only strengthens the wall, but which also prevents the water and materials which have fallen throu h the screen and into the pan from over owing the dam 7, thus compelling the water and sand and gravel to enter the spout.

It will be understood that the spiders 6 upon which the screens are mounted may also be split or divided into two or more sections, thus making it possible to remove any spider from the shaft, without disturbing the others and without removing the shaft from its bearings. Thus the entire structure comprising the scrubber, the screen and the supporting spiders can be split or divided into sections to make the screen and scrubber units readily removable from the shaft.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a gravel washing and screening apparatus, a shaft, a screen on said shaft, an imperforate drum rigid with one end of said screen, forming an enlargement thereof, and serving as a scrubber for feeding the material to one end of said screen, means to deliver the materials to said drum, the other end of said screen being open to discharge the materials which are too large to pass through the perforations of the screen, and means for rotating said shaft, said shaft being inclined, said screen being tapered toward the lower end of said shaft, so that the bottom of the screen is inclined toward its smaller end, and said drum being on the upper end of said screen.

2. In a gravel washing and screening apparatus, a shaft, a screen on said shaft, an

imperforateydruin rigid :withone end .of said screen, formingan, enlargement thereof, and serving as a scrubber for feeding the-material to one. end-50f said ;screen, means :to deliver: thematerials to saidv drum, the-other end of saidscreen being open tovdischarge the materials which arentooHla-rge to pass through the perforations ofthe screen, and meansfor rotating said shaft, saidashafubeing inclined, vsaid screen being tapered Itoward:.the lower. endof: said shaft, so that, the bottom of the screen is inclined toward itssmaller-end, and saiddrum beingonthe upperj end: of i said screen," there being a series, of said screen and. scrubber: units, and means to deliver materialsfrom onescreen to: the.- scrubberv of another screen, whereby-the materials .are subject toalter nate=scrubbing and screening operations.

3.=. In agravel washingand screening'apparatus,;a shaft, a screenon said shaft, an imperforatecylindric drum rigid with one endofusaid screen, forming an enlargement thereof, .and servingas a scrubber, to feed I the materials to the screen, means to deliverthe materials to said drum, and means for rotating said shaft, there being-a plurality of said screen and scrubber units on said shaft, and means to deliver from the bottom of one screen to the scrubber of the next screen, said shaft being inclined, and said screens being tapered away from their scrubbers and toward the lower end of said shaft, so that the bottom of each screen is inclined toward its smaller end. a

4. In a gravel washing and screening apparatus, a shaft, a screen on said shaft, an imperforate drum rigid with one end of said screen, forming an enlargement thereof, and serving as a scrubber, means to deliver the materials to said drum, and means for rotating said shaft, there being a plurality of said screen and scrubber units on said shaft, and means to deliver from the bottom of one screen to the scrubber 'of the next screen, said shaft being inclined, and said screens being tapered away from their scrubbers and toward the lower end of said shaft,each scrubber being cylindrie and supported by its allotted screen.

5. In a gravel washing and screening apparatus, the combination of (1) a rotary screen, (2) a supporting frame having parallel inclined members spaced apart to accommodate the screen between them, (3) an inclined trough having the side edges thereof secured to said members, (4) a transverse wall carried by the lower end of said trough, forming a dam, (5) a spout secured to and supported by said wall, having a top forming a deflector for the discharge from said screen, (6) another screen having a receiving chamber adjacent the end of said spout, (7) means on the end of said spout to deflect the discharge downwardly in said chamber, (8) means to feed the materials to the first screen, and (9) means to rotate said screens.

6. lhe combination of claim 5, in which said chamber is formed by a scrubber that extends below the bottom of said spout at the lower end thereof.

7. The combination of claim 5, a guard for the upper edge of said dam, and means on the adjacent screen to carry the Water dripping from the screen inside of said guard.

8. In a gravel washing and screening apparatus of that class in which the screen has a discharge opening at one end thereof, the combination of a ring at said discharge end of the screen to restrict the discharge opening, means to form an extension of said restricted opening, a support for said ring and extension, and devices to secure said support to the screen, With the edge of said ring eX- tending outward to form a flange to prevent the drip from the under-side of said screen from mixing With the discharge from said extension.

Games of this patent may be obtained rec/7,051

9. In a screening apparatus, the combi nation of a trough-shaped pan to receive the materials that pass through the bottom of the screen, supporting means to engage the side edges of said pan, so that said pan is supported in an inclined position, a transverse Wall for the lower end of said pan, disposed under the end of the screen, a spout for discharging the materials from said pan, and means to support said spout on said end Wall in position to serve as a deflector for the materials discharged from the end of said screen.

10. In a screening apparatus, a pan in the form of a shallow trough, a transverse Wall at one end of said trough, said Wall having an opening, a spout secured to said Wall and extending from said opening, the bottom of said trough being in the plane of the bottom of the spout, and said spout having a top shaped to serve as a deflector.

Signed by me at Chicago, Illinois, this 11th day of August 1915.

RAYMGND W. DULL.

for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patent-s,

Washington, D. G. 

